Here we go again.

State of play: The Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal that appeared all but dead three weeks ago is back up for a key vote today.

• Pinellas County commissioners are once again weighing whether to approve, deny or — for a third time — delay issuing bonds to finance their end of the historic deal. 

Why it matters: After weeks of finger-pointing, blustering and meetings, how commissioners vote will signal whether plans for the $1.3 billion stadium and surrounding redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District are salvageable.

Catch up quick: Team leaders have said repeatedly that county commissioners killed the deal when they first pushed back the bond vote in October while grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. 

• That delay blew up the plans to open the new ballpark in time for the 2028 season, team leaders said in a letter to county commissioners. 
• A 2029 opening "would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone," the Rays said. (Per the agreement, the team is responsible for any extra costs that come up over the course of the development.)

Yes, but: The team has yet to formally back out. Thus, the deal lives on, albeit on life support.

Between the lines: For those hoping the plan moves forward, there are perhaps more reasons for optimism heading into today's vote than there have been since the deal took a nosedive.

• After pushing back their own bond vote amid the plan's uncertainty, St. Petersburg City Council members this month narrowly greenlit their portion of the financing.  
• Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, who wants the team to stay in the region, met with county leaders, the Tampa Bay Times reported, although he didn't offer solutions for the Rays' financial woes. 
• And team co-president Matt Silverman said last week that he anticipates commissioners to approve the deal, per the Times.

What we're watching: Commissioners Kathleen Peters, Brian Scott and Rene Flowers have supported the deal from the start and will likely continue to do so today. Newly elected commissioner Vince Nowicki is a staunch no.

• The votes to watch are commissioners Chris Latvala and Dave Eggers, both of whom voted against the deal in July, and commissioner Chris Scherer, another newly elected board member and deal skeptic.

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Tampa Bay's economy was one of the fastest-growing among large U.S. metros last year, according to new federal data.

Why it matters: The numbers released this month show the region's economy has been booming.

By the numbers: Tampa Bay's gross domestic product increased by 4.3% from 2022 to 2023, hitting $198 billion last year, per the data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• Our region had the seventh-highest growth rate among metro areas with a population of over 1.5 million.

Zoom in: The finance, insurance and real estate industries drove much of the growth in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area, generating $52 billion last year — up from $50 billion in 2022, per BEA data.

• The health care and social assistance fields also made gains, rising from $18 billion in 2022 to over $20 billion last year.

Zoom out: Seattle saw the highest economic growth among large metros. Houston, Charlotte, San Antonio and Austin rounded out the top 5.

• In Florida, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Miami made the top 10. 

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🌨️ The City of St. Petersburg wants to storm-harden its wastewater facilities to better withstand storm surge. (St. Pete Catalyst)

• One option city officials discussed was building a wall around the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, which was powered down during hurricanes Helene and Milton.

⚖️ A group of young activists in Florida sued the state Public Service Commission over its continued reliance on fossil fuels, which they argue violates their constitutional right to "enjoy and defend life." (WUSF)

☀️ Twice as many workers have died from heat in Florida than federal officials know, a revelation that comes after the state preempted local governments from mandating heat protections. (Tampa Bay Times)

Sing-along screenings of "Wicked" are coming to movie theaters across the country, including in Tampa Bay.

Why it matters: If you've ever scream-sang "Defying Gravity" alone in your car to the point of tears, you understand the importance of this opportunity.

• If not, maybe stick to a regular screening, during which fans have been specifically asked not to sing along.

Driving the news: The special screenings begin Christmas Day and run through Jan. 2. Find showtimes and buy tickets at the official movie website. 

Among the theaters offering either the best (or worst) thing to grace theaters since the Burn Book popcorn bucket: 

• Regal Park Place in Pinellas Park
• AMC Veterans 24 in Town 'n' Country
• AMC Woodlands Square 20 in Oldsmar
• AMC The Regency 20 in Brandon
• AMC Highwoods 20 in New Tampa

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👋 Kathryn and Yacob here. We're putting together a round-up of photos that represent what Tampa Bay life looked like in 2024, and we'd love to include some from readers!

Did you snap a picture this year that you think we should feature?

• Hit reply or email [email protected] with the photo and a couple sentences about when and where you took it and why you think it's worth including. Thanks!